CASEPLAYS Get Out of the Way!

Both Teams Foul

Play: First and 10 from team A’s 20 yardline. Team A is illegally in motion at the snap. A1’s legal forward pass is intercepted by B2. During B2’s return, B3 clips A4. Ruling: Although both teams committed live-ball fouls, the fouls do not automatically offset. If team B declines the illegal motion penalty, team B will retain possession, but the penalty for clipping by B3 may be enforced at team A’s option. If team B accepts the penalty for the illegal motion by A1, it is a double foul and the down will be replayed (NFHS 10-1, 10-2-1c, 10-2-2; NCAA 10-1-4 Exc. 1).

Pull and Shoot

Play: First and 10 at team A’s 20 yardline. Immediately after the snap, B1 grabs guard A2 and pulls him to the side, giving B3 an open lane to sack quarterback A4. Ruling: That is known as the pull and shoot. It is illegal and is considered defensive holding. Team B is penalized 10 yards from the previous spot. In NCAA, the penalty includes an automatic first down (NFHS 2-3-5b, 9-3-5b; NCAA 9-3-4d, f, 9-3-4 Pen.).

Neutral Zone

Play: Can a defensive player have his hand across the neutral zone before the ball is snapped?

Ruling: In NFHS play, once the snapper has his hands on the ball, it is encroachment for any player to enter the neutral zone. The result is a dead-ball foul and a five-yard penalty (7-1-6). Under NCAA rules, the defensive player has an opportunity to get back on his side of the neutral zone before the snap. Failure to do so results in a five-yard penalty for offside, a live-ball foul (7-1-5b-1).

Taking a Knee

Play: First and 10 at team B’s 20 yardline. A1’s pass is intercepted by B2 at his own three yardline. B2 voluntarily runs into team B’s end zone. He simulates going to one knee, then puts on a burst of speed and advances to team B’s 37 yardline before he is downed. Ruling: In NFHS, that’s a legal play; it’s team B’s ball at its own 37 yardline. In NCAA, team A scores a safety; the ball is dead when B2 simulates taking a knee (NFHS 4-2-2a; NCAA 4-1-3o).

By George Demetriou

There may be at least one situation in which an official would deliberately interfere with a play. If the ball were snapped before the officials were in place, an official could catch or knock the ball down. The play would be declared a do-over because the ball was legally ready for play and a delay foul for a premature snap wouldn’t be justified by rule. Otherwise, officials do their best to avoid getting in the path of a player or the ball. If it does happen, the rules address how to handle it. Officials can also be obstructionists if they tip off a play or otherwise end a play before the ball becomes dead by rule.

Touching the ball. The official most likely to make inadvertent contact with the ball is the umpire, but it could happen to the back judge or a sideline official. An official could possibly touch a forward pass, a kick or a ball that has become loose via a fumble or backward pass. Under NFHS rules, it is as simple as it can be — any touching by an inbounds official either in the field of play or an end zone is ignored (2-44). That means the status of the ball is unchanged. It is not the same as the ball touching the ground where the official is standing. If the ball is in flight when it strikes the official, it continues to be in flight until the ball physically touches the ground. Of course such touching might alter the play with devastating consequences, and the only recourse is an apology.

In NCAA play, a field goal is successful if it deflects off an official and goes through the uprights (8-41a). If an official touches a forward pass, all players become eligible (7-35). Also in college play, an official can play a role in determining whether a ball is thrown forward or backward. Unlike NFHS rules, where the initial direction of the pass is decisive, under NCAA rules it depends on where the ball first touches something after it leaves the passer’s hand. If the pass first hits a player, an official or the ground beyond the spot from where the passer releases it, it is forward.

Likewise under NCAA rules, an official can determine if a scrimmage kick has crossed the neutral zone. A scrimmage kick has crossed the neutral zone when it touches the ground, a player, an official or anything that is beyond the neutral zone (2-16-7b). NFHS rules do not specifically define when a kick has crossed the neutral zone, but it is reasonable to say, similar to a pass, the ball must be entirely beyond the zone to have crossed it.

In NCAA play, if an official is in possession of a live ball, the ball becomes dead (4-1-3n). Realistically, that won’t happen unless it is intentional as it was in the opening scenario. Although possession by an official is not addressed in NFHS rules, if an official continues to hold on to the ball, the play is effectively over.

Signals. Officials can also sabotage a play by blowing an inadvertent whistle or giving a premature signal. Artificial turf prep fields can be very confusing when marked with soccer, lacrosse or field hockey lines in addition to the football layout. A touchdown has been known to have been signaled at the wrong line more than once. Unlike NCAA rules, an erroneous signal in high school play does not, by rule, constitute an inadvertent whistle and the bogus signal is likely to be ignored under the “immediate continuing action” concept. If, however, the incorrect signal affects play or could have affected play, the situation should be rectified under rule 1-1-6. In either case, one set of coaches is bound to be unhappy. An inadvertent whistle is much more likely than an inadvertent signal. There are a variety of causes for premature toots, but in the end, the team of the player in possession of the ball when the play was ended by the whistle has the option to replay the down or to take the result of the play at the dead-ball spot. If the ball was loose during a legal forward pass or snap or during a legal kick when the whistle blew, there is no choice and the down is replayed by rule. If the inadvertent whistle occurs while the ball is loose following a backward pass, fumble, illegal forward pass or illegal kick, as long as the penalty for any foul is declined, the team that lost possession has the option of taking the ball where possession was lost or replaying the down. In all cases, an accepted penalty for a live-ball foul negates the whistle.

Tipping off a play. The only way officials have of giving a hint to what the next play might be is through their positioning. The only play which realistically has position options for officials is a kickoff. Taking a modified configuration for a possible squib kick is OK, but care must be taken when an onside kick is likely. If the coach reveals before the game his team will always kick onside, taking the appropriate position every time that team kicks off is OK. The opponents almost certainly know that from the video exchange. If the game situation obviously calls for an onside kick, it’s appropriate to line up for such a kick. However, what officials absolutely cannot do is react to anything overheard on the sideline regarding a surprise onside kick.

An official physically interfering with an onside kick is highly unlikely, but is addressed in NCAA rules. Touching of a kick by an official allows the kicker to be blocked. Otherwise, the kicker may not be blocked before he has advanced five yards beyond his restraining line or the kick has touched the ground, or another player. That results in a 15-yard penalty from the previous spot for an illegal block (6-1-9, 9-116c). In NFHS, contact between an official and the ball is ignored (9-3-4). George Demetriou has been a football official since 1968. He lives in Colorado Springs, Colo. *